Press operating motor and control mechanism



Feb. 6, 1940. c s, MALOTT, JR 2,189,215

PRESS OPERATING MOTOR AND CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 24, 1935 Zob 22 FIG-2 INVENTOR CLIFTON S. MALOTT JR.

ATTORN EYJ Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNiTED PRESS OPERATING MOTOR AND CONTROL MECHANISM Clifton S. Malott, Jr., Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio Application December 24, 1935, Serial No. 55,993

1 Claim. (01. 38-31) This invention relates to a pressing machine of the type used in garment and laundry work, and more particularly to an improved operating motor and control mechanism therefor.

An object of my invention is the provision of a novel operating motor for a press of the type in which a pair of coacting pressing members are relatively movable laterally into and out of registration and, when in registration, relatively l ll movable into and out of pressure engagement.

' One of the novel features of my invention is the provision of a pair of operating motors for a press of the type above described, each of the motors being fluid actuated and the operating fluid for the pressure engagement producing motor being supplied through the lateral motion producing motor automatically after the latter motor has caused movement of the pressing mem-' bers into registration.

" Other features of my invention include the novel structural arrangement of press operating motors for accomplishing the above described objects and suitable control mechanism therefor as will more clearly appear from the accompanying drawing and specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a pressing machine embodying my invention showing the pressing members in full lines in open position and one of the members in broken lines in registration with the other member for a pressing operation, certain of the parts being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the structure; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the press in fully closed position; Figs. 3

.II and 4 are front elevations of a portion of the to of Fig. 1.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a pressing machine in which the pressing head is mounted in a stationary manner on the frame and a coacting pressing bed is arranged for lateral movement into and out of registration with the head and when in registration arranged for vertical movement into and out of pressure engagement with the head. It will be understood, however, that my invention may be utilized in machines varying from the embodiment shown here and I desire to be limited therein only as defined in the scope of the appended claims.

In the machine illustrated, on a frame 10 is 53 mounted a pressing head H which may be heated if desired in any suitable manner. A carriage I2 is mounted for lateral movement on the frame It? preferably by rollers it which travel upon suitable guide rails M on the frame. Sufiicient sets of rollers and guide rails are provided, preli- 5 erably two. A pressing bed It is mounted on the carriage for vertical movement relative thereto, the mounting shown comprising a downwardly extending stem it on the bed which reciprocates in a sleeve I! mounted on the carriage. During 1 this vertical movement the bed is held in proper position by apin [8 which is guided in a suitable bore on the carriage structure.

Movement of the pressing bed is provided by a pair of motors, l9 being arranged to provide the 5 lateral movement into registration and 20 providing the vertical movement into pressure engagement. Motor It comprises a cylinder l9a having a piston [91) connected by a rod I90 with a bracket l2a which in turn is supported on the carriage I2. Motor 20 comprises a cylinder 200. having reciprocable therein a piston 20b whose piston rod We is in position to engage and raise the stem is when the'pressing bed is in registering position. The carriage I2 is biased in the open position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 by means of a counterweight 2| attached to the forward side of the carriage by a cable 22 which passes over suitable guide pulleys in the frame. Motive fluid is supplied to the forward face of piston'lsb to cause movement of the bed into registration. This supply of motive fluid is by way of the combined flow and exhaust conduit 23, valve casing 24 and conduit 25. Valve casing 24 houses a normally closed inlet valve 24a and a normally open outlet valve 241), both mounted on a stem 240 for operation by an oscillating cam 26. This cam is rigidly mounted on shaft El which extends to the front of the machine in a position convenient for the operator 10 and is actuated by a manual 28 which, when the press is opened, occupies the position shown in Fig.3.

Means is provided to insure that motor 2|] is not operated until motor H) has moved the bed 45 into registering position with the head. In the form shown this comprises a port 29 located in the wall of cylinder l9a in such a position that it is uncovered to the supply of motive fluid only after piston I912 has made a sufficient stroke to cause registering movement of the pressing bed. An open vent 3D is provided at the rear end of cylinder I90; to provide against the building up of any pressure on the rear'face of piston l9b. Port 29 communicatesby passageway 3| with the the head.

lower face of piston 201). An exhaust conduit 32 is provided for cylinder 200., this conduit leading through valve casing 33 to an exhaust outlet 34. Casing 33 houses a normally closed outlet valve 33a having an actuating stem 33?) which is adapted to be engaged by an oscillating cam 35 which is also rigidly mounted upon shaft 21. The relative position of cams 35 and 26 on shaft 21 and the form of these cams is such that with the shaft in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, cam 26 permits the spring in casing 24 to close valve 24a and open valve 2417. At the same time the high point of cam 35 engages valve stem 33b and holds valve 33a. open against the bias of the spring in casing 33.

With the parts in the position just described the operator arranges the lay of the work upon bed [5 and moves manual 28 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3 and4, placing this manual in the position of Fig. 4. This places the cams 26 and 35 in the position of Fig. 2 which permits the closing of valve 330. by its spring and by the action of cam 26 closes valve 24b and opens valve 24a. Motive fluid is then supplied through conduits and 23 to the forward end of cylinder I90. causing a rearward stroke of piston I91) and moving the bed into the registering position shown in dotted lines. in Fig. 1. When the parts reach this position the bed raising stem I6 is in position over piston rod 200 and at the same time piston 1% moves to the rear of port 29 uncovering the same to the motive fluid in cylinder I90. and this fluid flowing through passageway 31 raises piston 20band moves the bed into pressure engagement with Upon completion of the pressing operation the manual 28 may be returned by the operator to the position of Fig. 3, thus returning the cams to the position of Fig. 1 with the following results. The valve actuating surface of cam is arranged to open valve 330. slightly before cam 26 permits return movement of the valves in casing 24 to the position of Fig. 1. The purpose of this is to permit an initial exhaust of fluid from cylinder 20a through conduit 32 and exhaust port 34 to insure a downward movement of the pressing bed under the influence of gravity before any lateral movement of the bed takes place. This prevents disarrangement of the work on the pressing bed. Shortly after valve 33a is opened, cam 26 permits the return of the valves in casing 24 to the position of Fig. l which closes the inlet valve 24a and opens the outlet valve 24b. Cylinder 20a is. now exhausted through conduit 32 and also momentarily at least through cylinder [9a and conduit 23. Due to the influence of counterweight 2! the bed moves out of registration on its carriage and piston. l9b moves toward the forward end of cylinder l9a exhausting fluid through conduit 23 and open valve 241).

A guard 36 is pivotally mounted at 31 on a portion of the frame and extends lengthwise along the forward edge of the pressing head in a position to be engaged by the hands of an operator if they are lying upon the pressing bed as it moves into registration. This guard has an operative connection with a mechanism which will return shaft 2'! and the cams thereon to press-opening-producing position if the guard is struck by an operator as the bed is moving toward registering position. This arrangement comprises a servo-motor 38 mounted on the frame and having a piston 38a Whose connected rod 3% is adapted to engage a lug 28a. rigidly connected with shaft 2'! so that a stroke of piston 38a causes clockwise rotation of shaft 2'! when the parts are in the position of Fig. 4. The piston 38a is biased into its unactuated position by a spring 380'. Motive fluid is supplied to servo-motor 38 by way of conduit 39 and valve casing 40. This casing houses a normally closed inlet valve 40a having a stem 4% which is adapted to be engaged and operated by a rod 4| which has a suitable connection with the guard 36 so that rearward movement of guard 36 opens valve 40a. In such a case fluid is supplied from conduit 25 through conduit 33 to servo-motor 38 and will move manual 28 and shaft 2'! from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3. This action would take place to prevent accident to an operators hand but it will be understood that instead of returning manual 28 to off position by grasping the manual 28 the same result may be accomplished by pushing upon the guard 36.

The movement of the carriage l 2 and the parts mounted thereon is snubbed at both ends of the carriage travel by a double-acting snubber 42 which is connected by link 43 and lever 44 with the carriage l2. The lever 44 is pivotally connected with the carriage at its upper end and has a pin and slot connection with the frame at its lower end to take care of the movement of the lever relative to the frame as the carriage moves back and forth.

What I claim is:

In a pressing machine of the class described, a pair of coacting pressing members relatively movable laterally into and out of registration and when in registration relatively movable into and out of pressure engagement, two fluid actuated motors, one for causing each of said relative movements, means for supplying fluid from said lateralmovement-causing motor to said pressure-engagement-causing motor when the former has completed said into-registration movement, control valves and a fluid conduit communicating with said lateral-movementcausing motor for operating the same, an outlet conduit for exhausting said pressure-engagement-causing motor, a normally closed valve in said outlet conduit, and control means adapted sequentially to open said normally closed valve and to actuate said first named control valves in out-of-registration-producing direction.

CLIFTON S. MALOTT, JR. 

